The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 3, 1903. HARBOR WORKS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 958, 3 August 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 3, 1903. HARBOR WORKS.

The report) of the recently-appoint-ed Overseer of the Harbor ' Works was anticipated with considerable interest, and certainly Mr McLeod has given the members some debatable points to decide. Chief of these is the question as to whether the training-wall should bo extended beyond the concrete pier., Mr Napier Bell advised that it should, while Mr McLeod is of opinion that it will be a mistake to, gb outside the shelter of the breakwater, as it will have the effect of training- the waves into the river. Certainly the experience bears out Mr McLeod’s statement. It is only a few .days ago that the sweep of rollers coming into the river caused an erosion of the bank of the Waikanac near the railway engine-shed, while protective works have been found necessary along the banks of the Turanganui river, A further point arises'as to whether this swishing in of largevolumes of water is not in some respects an advantage in removing accumulations of drift. In any case, a flue engineering and practical point is raised, and from the practical side the benefit of the doubt seems to be with Mr McLeod. There comes then the old question of contract versus day labor, the Overseer favoring contract. The Board has had experience both ways, and the usual difference of opinion is certain to. exist Recent experience lias been very much in favor of contract work. A very interesting item of the report is given under the heading of “Dredging.” Mr McLeod has had the sandgrab belonging to Hercules crane altered' to suit the double chain of the big dredge, and he states that “ after experimenting a little I am happy to say that I have succeeded in making it cut the papa clay which neither of the other grabs would lift without blasting.” To further facilitate the dredging o f this clay, Mr McLeod lias asked authority to obtain a furrow skeleton plough, to be used when the weather is too rough for the dredge to go outside. The Overseer feels sure that nearly all the papa in the river from the Kaiti bridge to about a chain below the slip is sufficiently soft to be ploughed and dredged i without the use of explosives. Mr McLeod is a mail who never makes a statement in which he has not the fullest confidence, -and his report in regard to the papa should be very cheering to the ratepayers who have feen wondering bow lmueli the river improvements were going to cost. E-lad the blasting process been re:iuired all through, the cost of a .'ompleted river work would have unounled to something enormous.